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Metabolic changes in the rat brain after a photochemical lesion treated by stem cell transplantation assessed by 1H MRS

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Abstract

Object

Metabolite changes in an experimental lesion in the rat cortex and in the contralateral hemisphere after the intravenous administration of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were assessed by proton MR spectroscopy to verify the impact of the cell treatment on the brain tissue.

Materials and methods

Wistar rats with a photochemical cortical lesion and transplanted MSCs or sham transplanted rats were examined. Proton spectra were obtained from the lesion and from the contralateral cortex.

Results

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy revealed a gradual recovery of the damaged tissue; however, we found no significant differences in metabolite concentrations in the lesioned hemisphere between treated and untreated animals. Higher concentrations of glutamate and N-acetyl aspartate were found in the contralateral hemisphere in cell-treated animals compared to untreated ones. Lesioned animals showed neurogenesis in the contralateral hemisphere; the number of newly generated cells in stem cell-treated animals was 50% higher than those observed in untreated animals.

Conclusion

No direct impact of cell transplantation was observed in the lesion. However, changes in the contralateral hemisphere suggest that the transplanted MSCs might stimulate repair processes and plasticity resulting in the generation of newborn cells, which might enable the faster adoption of the damaged tissue’s function by healthy tissue.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. MR-Unit, Department of Radiodiagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Vídeňská 1958/9, 140 21, Prague, Czech Republic

    Vít Herynek & Milan Hájek

  2. Center for Cell Therapy and Tissue Repair, Second Medical Faculty, Charles University, V Úvalu 84, 150 06, Prague, Czech Republic

    Vít Herynek, Kateřina Růžičková, Pavla Jendelová, Eva Syková & Milan Hájek

  3. Institute of Experimental Medicine ASCR, Vídeňská 1083, 142 20, Prague, Czech Republic

    Kateřina Růžičková, Pavla Jendelová & Eva Syková

  4. Department of Neuroscience, Second Medical Faculty, Charles University, V Úvalu 84, 150 06, Prague, Czech Republic

    Pavla Jendelová & Eva Syková

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  1. Vít Herynek
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  2. Kateřina Růžičková
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  3. Pavla Jendelová
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Correspondence to Vít Herynek.

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Herynek, V., Růžičková, K., Jendelová, P. et al. Metabolic changes in the rat brain after a photochemical lesion treated by stem cell transplantation assessed by 1H MRS. Magn Reson Mater Phy 22, 211–220 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10334-009-0166-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10334-009-0166-2

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